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LATEST NEWS & NOTES
AEW debuted on MAX this week. There were no reports of snafus with the service. The video quality was impeccable. The two biggest issues were 1) the fact that Dynamite wasn’t prominently featured on the main page of MAX so it took a minute to figure out it was on the BR Sports tab and 2) the lack of double box breaks on MAX. Rather than a double box it just went to full screen.
-There was improved lighting and some new camera angles on Dynamite this week.
-Sir Elton John’s classic “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) was restored to its rightful place as the opening theme to AEW Collision this week after a several month switch to an in-house theme.
-Dynamite got a new theme too, “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters. To my ear it sounded like the 1984 remixed re-release version that everyone is more familiar with not the original from two years earlier. Either way this is a great song that belongs on any 80s playlist, however it was a jarring choice for a wrestling show. If the alternative is some really crappy current music that nobody will remember in 40 years like they do The Pointer Sisters, I’d take the Pointers. That said I think there had to be a better 80s song to choose. Tony, if you’re reading this, think “Nothin’ But a Good Time” by Poison.
-Kenny Omega made his return to the ring after a 13 month absence and proved that he is in fact an alien. This man spent a year out dealing with a not only career-threatening but potentially life-threatening medical condition only to return and put on a classic match with Gabe Kidd in which he bled like a stuck pig. The match was super physical and went 31 minutes. In the end Kenny won with a One Winged Angel. Speaking of new themes, Kenny had a new theme of his own composed by the man behind the Final Fantasy music. Following the match, a bloody Kenny cut a promo posted to social media in which he talked about being back and reclaiming everything he lost and proving that he’s the “god of professional wrestling”. It certainly sounds like he could be setting his sights on the AEW title, but we shall see when he returns to Dynamite tomorrow night.
-Elsewhere on the card Mercedes Moné and Mina Shirakawa had a very good match. It was a much more psychological match with Mina really working over Mercedes knee and Mercedes fighting through the pain. One minor quibble, Mercedes’ calling card is that she’s a crafty worker so she should’ve been able to find a way around using her injured knee offensively so much. That’s a small thing in an otherwise very good match.
-In the end Mercedes turned a backslide into the MonéMaker to get the win and become a triple champion or C3O as she was dubbed on Bluesky. If Mercedes could just sound less like an automaton cutting a promo, she’d be in great shape with this run of matches she’s been on. Shout out to her awesome Sailor Moon-inspired ring gear too.
-Konosuke Takeshita won the NEVER Openweight title from Shingo Takagi at WrestleKingdom and then successfully defended it against Tomohiro Ishii at Wrestle Dynasty. Those two threw serious bombs at one another. This was the kind of stiff, hard-hitting match I like. Give me more Takeshita on TV, please.
-Speaking of hard-hitting, Brody King did his best to beat the life out David Finlay. Finlay came from behind to score the win but Brody looked like an absolute beast. Between this match and his C2 run, Brody deserves some love and a good feud to feature him.
-Athena’s potential road out of ROH took another unexpected turn. Momo Wantanabe used a distraction from Thekla to grab a bat and hit a home run with Athena’s face and then pin her with a package suplex. It was a surprising finish given that Athena hadn’t been pinned in two years. This does set up potential matches between Athena and Thekla and Athena and Momo who earned a shot at whatever title she wants by virtue of her win. Athena has stuff to keep her occupied seemingly through Supercard of Honor at least.
-One last Wrestle Dynasty note, AEW did a bad job promoting this show. Yes, it got discussed in reference to the International Women’s Cup but it felt almost like an afterthought. I don’t think Tony Schiavone mentioned on Collision which aired right before the start of the event. It doesn’t have to consume a lot of TV time but AEW could’ve at least ran down the card at some point.
INTRO
Last week was a strong start to the New Year. Mox is as menacing as ever as champion and there are now plethora of potential challengers swimming in the pool, including MJF who has fully moved on from Adam Cole. Making the title the most important thing on the show is crucial and AEW did a good job of that. This week’s episode is built around a Casino Gauntlet match for the right to face Mox for the title next week. Once again the title is the focus. The match itself isn’t predictable which is nice. Elsewhere on the show Kenny Omega makes his return to AEW TV for the first time since last May when he was stretchered off after an attack by The Elite. Will he be there strictly as a wrestler or will he use some of his EVP power for good? The women’s division is a relatively strong position with Mariah May and Mercedes Moné atop it but both women need official challengers. Will those challengers emerge? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Jon Moxley vs. Adam Copeland
Latest Developments
Rated FTR defeated Mox and the Mechanics after Adam Copeland pinned Wheeler Yuta
Analysis
Rated FTR did battle in the main event of last week’s Dynamite. The match itself was nothing special. At one point Mox had Copeland on the commentator’s table. That’s when Jay White snuck into the ring and hit the Blade Runner on Yuta, exacting a measure of revenge for Worlds End. That allowed FTR to hit the Shatter Machine and set Yuta up for Copeland’s spear for the win.
Following Rated FTR’s win over The Learning Tree on Collision, Mox and the Mechanics popped up on the screen revealing they had tied up the Rock and Roll Express whom FTR made amends with earlier in the night.
This all fine. Rated FTR got the win in their hometown and then beat the Learning Tree. Copeland is a perfectly acceptable if unexciting opponent. If anything he’s the least exciting of Mox’s potential opponents. When he gets his title shot is unclear. Tomorrow on Dynamite there’ll be a Casino Gauntlet match for the right to face Moxley at the “Maximum Carnage” Dynamite in Cincinnati next week. It’s never clear exactly who all is in those matches which is part of the fun but we do know that Jay White will be number one and he’s got unfinished business with Mox and the Mechanics. There’s also Jeff Jarrett who entered himself into the match and expressed his desire to be world champion. Perhaps Copeland ends up in the match and we get that title shot over with. That would make the most sense to me. Copeland is a TV opponent at best. Giving him a marquee world title match at PPV feels like a waste especially with White, potentially Kenny Omega, potentially Will Ospreay, and Darby Allin waiting in the wings. Rated FTR would be suited to be challengers for the trios titles.
Grade: B
Mariah May vs. Toni Storm
Latest Developments
Mariah talked up her successful title defense; Toni defeated Deonna Purrazzo.
Analysis
This feud hasn’t officially restarted. In fact these two haven’t yet interacted. Mariah, in a pre-taped promo, bragged about defeating Thunder Rosa and retaining her title. Elsewhere, Toni Storm defeated Deonna Purrazzo on Collision earning her fifth straight victory since her return.
Clearly the story here is amnesiac “rookie” Toni Storm is working her way to a title shot. I think that’s a fine story. Toni’s doing a great job in this role. The key is going to be the moment Toni either has her memory jogged or reveals it was a ruse. Until then though I think we see these women on parallel paths.
Grade: B+
Jamie Hayter vs. Julia Hart
Latest Developments
Julia Hart defeated Jamie Hayter after spraying her in the eyes with black mist
Analysis
After weeks of Julia taunting Jamie before finally attacking her, these two squared off. The match was what it was. Julia’s been out 8 months. It’s going to take some time for her to get her sea legs under her. The finish came when she used an arrow to distract the referee before spitting the mist into Jamie’s eyes and pinning her. Hayter oversold the mist a little bit but I’d rather she oversell than undersell it.
Given the way the match ended, the feud is clearly not over. What I’m going to need moving forward is Julia to flesh out why she targeted Jamie. The one time she attempted to explain her motivation, it was some vagaries about the kind of reception Julia got upon her return. I’m going to need a little more than that I’m afraid.
Grade: B-
“Hangman” Page vs. Christopher Daniels
Latest Developments
Hangman attacked Daniels in the ring on
Dynamite following a win over Orange Cassidy. Later in the night (but aired on Collision) the two had a confrontation in which CD finally got fed up and fought back.
Analysis
Hangman defeated Orange Cassidy in the opening match of last week’s show. After the bell he decided that wasn’t enough and proceeded to beat up Cassidy some more, hitting him with two Dead Eyes. That brought out Daniels who got into his former friend’s face and pleaded with him to see reason. Hangman responded with a punch. From the mat Daniels yelled that he is Hangman’s friend to which Hangman kicked him in the face. In a video released to social media but then aired on Collision, a fed up CD confronted Hangman once more. Hangman ran him down verbally and then slapped him in the face. That was the breaking point. Daniels tackled Hangman. The two fought with Daniels getting the edge with repeated headbutts that opened CD up hard way.
I don’t know that I need a feud in which Christopher Daniels is one half of in 2025. I get the point that he and Hangman are/were friends and that Hangman’s out of control behavior and descent into madness is alienating everyone who cared about him and he’s so far gone he can’t see it. I just don’t know that CD should be the person carrying that mantle. I hope this leads to a quick match between the two and there’s another better friend waiting to try and bring Hangman to his senses. Perhaps this is another possibility for something for Kenny Omega to do.
Grade: B
Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet
Latest Developments
Ricochet attacked Swerve with a pair od golden scissors and left the former world champion lying in the ring in a pool of blood.
Analysis
For weeks Swerve has been making fun of Ricochet, calling him by his government name. It culminated at Worlds End when took a page from the crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom and had the front row in Orlando throw toilet paper at Ricochet en masse. That was the last straw for Ricochet. He showed up, dressed immaculately in a suit, during the three way match to determine the number one spot in this week’s Casino Gauntlet and stabbed Swerve in the head with a pair of golden scissors. This opened Swerve up. The attack did stop there. Ricochet repeatedly attacked Swerve with the scissors. He tossed him in the ring and grabbed a chair. That’s when Prince Nana tried to intervene only to end eating a chair shot himself. Ricochet sat Swerve in a chair and hit the Spirit Gun on him before being chased away by the Undisputed Kingdom.
What a turnaround this has been for Ricochet. He’s gone from generic high-flying babyface to violent, arrogant heel. It’s definitely working better for him. This is the most interesting he’s been maybe ever. He had some heat back after the TP humiliation by Swerve and boy did he ever. He left Swerve and Nana laying in memorable fashion. Given how he was dressed, he would definitely fit in with The Hurt Syndicate. Maybe this attack on Swerve changes MVP’s mind and Ricochet is invited back in. If that does happen, Swerve is going to need some backup.
Grade: B+
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Christian Cage vs. Hook
Latest Developments
Hook had a pre-taped promo from his front stoop in NYC in which he challenged Christian Cage to a match. Later the match was made official for next week.
Analysis
Honestly there wasn’t a lot to this. Hook’s pre-taped promo was fine. He was brief but intense talking about not being satisfied with beating he gave Christian in the luxury box and wanting to choke him out. The match is official for next week. I think Hook should go over and that’ll be that. One interesting potential stipulation would be Christian putting up his contract in the match. He’d have to be goaded into it by Hook but Hook beating Christian, winning that contract, and challenging Mox to a match for the title on TV would be far more interesting than anything Christian might do with it.
Grade: B
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